574 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1755. 



XFI. An Account of the Death of Mr. George fVilliam Richman, Professor of 

 Experimental Philosophy, a Member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at 

 Petersburg. Translated from the High Dutch, p. 6l. 



In order to demonstrate what Mr. R. might advance in an intended discourse 

 with the greater certainty, he neglected no opportunity on the appearance of a 

 thunder-cloud, diligently to discover its strength. Bars were standing for this 

 purpose always on the roof of the house. These received the electrical power 

 of the clouds, and imparted it to certain chains fastened to them ; by which it 

 was conducted into one of his rooms, where his apparatus was. He was at- 

 tending the usual meeting of the Academy the 26th of July 1753, a little before 

 noon, when it thundered at a pretty distance, the sky being clear, and the sun 

 shining. On this he hastened home, in hopes of confirming his former obser- 

 vations, or possibly enabling himself to make new ones. The engraver So- 

 kolow, who had the care of his future treatise, accompanied him, to make him- 

 self the better acquainted with the chief circumstances of the electrical experi- 

 ment, in order to be enabled to represent it more justly on a copper-plate. Mr. 

 Richman carried the engraver immediately to his apparatus, taking notice of the 

 degree of electricity on his bar, which was then only 4; and by which it appeared, 

 that his bar had received very little from the thunder. He described to Mr. So- 

 kolow the dangerous consequences which would attend the electrical power 

 being increased to the 45th, or more degrees of his expositor. In the mean 

 time the misfortune happened, about half an hour after noon, which cost Pro- 

 fessor Richman his life. A thick cloud, that came from the north-east, and 

 seemed to float very low in the air, was taken notice of by people walking in the 

 street ; and these affirm, that they could plainly see, on the subsequent flash of 

 lightning, and peal of thunder, a quantity of vaporous matter issue from it, 

 which diffused itself in the circumjacent space. It was such a thunder-clap as 

 has hardly been remembered at Petersburg. The serene weather continued af- 

 terwards just as before. An English captain observed, that as the wind had been 

 till then easterly, not long before the thunder it veered about to westward, but 

 immediately after the stroke it returned to its former point, east. By this it ap- 

 pears in what manner the inflammation of the electrical particles followed so 

 quickly, the wind driving it against another cloud, not so pregnant with that 

 combustible matter. The neighbours declare, that they saw through their \yin- 

 dowsa vapour, in different rays, dart along the whole extent of the street ; and 

 that wherever it touched the ground, it emitted every where sparks ; which is not 

 incredible ; for there were people who, walking along between these rays of 

 vapour, were quite stunned, and some beaten to the ground, though they speedily 



recovered 



agam. 



